As fuel costs and concerns of air pollution increase, some drivers have begun to practice driving techniques to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles. Such fuel-saving driving techniques are generally referred to as hypermile driving and can include driving techniques such as using light accelerations, smooth decelerations, cruise control or turning off the engine instead of idling.
One hypermile driving technique includes what is referred to as pulse-and-glide driving where the driver alternates between accelerating in a pulse phase and coasting with minimal power in a glide phase. Fuel economy with pulse-and-glide driving is typically improved over a base fuel-saving driving style of using light accelerations, smooth decelerations and attempting to maintain a relatively constant speed. The improved fuel economy associated with pulse-and-glide driving is primarily due to the reduced amount of fuel required to coast in the glide phase.